INTEGRATING ICT WITH EDUCATION: USING COMPUTER GAMES TO ENHANCE LEARNING MATHEMATICS AT UNDERGRADUATE LEVEL

Abstract:

Integration of ICT in the education sector is a desired trend globally. Where it has been
adopted, it contributes significantly to increased access to education for all (EFA). This
research seeks to look into ways in which computer games as ICT tools can be used to
enhance and promote quality teaching and learning; particularly in creating and sustaining
interest in the teaching and learning of Functions, a topic taught in mathematics courses
such as Discrete Mathematics, Real Analysis and Calculus, among others. At Jomo Kenyatta
University of Agriculture and Technology (JKUAT) in Kenya, the topic is introduced to
students of Mathematics and those of Computer Science in first year Discrete Mathematics.
A computer game was developed using Full Professional Adobe Acrobat 9 Pro. The game is
designed in five levels in line with the progression of functions subject content. A minimum
score of 60% for each level was built in the game to ensure the player has a good grip of
the content for a certain level before moving on to the next level, thus contributing to
guided revision of the level with fun. After game development, it was availed to ten first
year Bachelor of Science in Mathematics students taking discreet Mathematics course at
the Taita Taveta Campus of JKUAT. The students were in their second semester academic
year 2009/2010. Analysis of end of the semester examinations results show that students
who played the game had better performance than their counterparts who had not.
Recommendations for further work as advancement of this research is development of a
more advanced game in terms of adaptation of the game for use in teaching and learning
other Mathematics topics considered to be boring, or difficulty or both and ultimately for
purposes of promoting universal quality of university teaching.